It’s a situation that nobody wants to be a part of. Over the weekend, a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Oslo was unfortunate enough to find itself in the midst of a bomb threat.
A Ryanair spokesman said in a statement: “Crew on a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Oslo discovered a note that claimed there was a potential security threat on board.”
Following the discovery, the crew acted quickly and were able to get help from Denmark, where they were flyover over at the time. Danish fighter aircrafts escorted the airplane to Oslo, where it was able to safely land.
The Ryanair spokesman continued: “The captain followed procedures and continued to Oslo airport where the plane landed safely.”
All passengers had to remain on board while local police carried out a security search. After the search concluded, a British national was arrested. Olav Unnestad, head of joint operational services in Oslo, said the suspect would be interviewed as soon as possible.
Understandably, the passengers were in shock.
One passenger told the press, “As soon as we landed, the pilot announced that ‘this is the captain, I repeat, this is the captain. We have a security alert on board.’’”
“It felt like we were in a movie. Two of the armed special forces officers who came on board ordered all passengers to put their hands over their heads. They were armed and then I heard one of them say (in Norwegian) over their communications equipment that ‘we’re moving forward to the suspect’s seat,’” the witness told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
It’s an unfortunate part of life no matter where you live, but this week’s bizarre news has statisticians scratching their heads about Norway’s mortality rate — which, it turns out, is actually lower than normal, even in the midst of a global pandemic.
Magnus Haug, who works on the Population Statistics Section at Statistics Norway (SSB), noted, “Based on the experience we have with these weekly mortality figures from previous years, we feel pretty confident that this is true.”
John H. Fiva, a professor of economics at BI Norwegian Business School, took Statistics Norway’s figures and created a chart to visualize the concept. The graph above shows the number of deaths in the last 20 years, along with a red line that represents 2020 at a clear downward slope.
Although nobody is quite sure what’s causing this downward trend, Norway is considered to be one of the luckier countries to escape COVID-19. Recent statistics show that more people are dying from other disorders, most likely because they can’t be treated in hospitals due to the overcapacity from coronavirus patients.
Do you have any theories about Norway’s lower-than-usual mortality rate? Let us know in the comments!
Swedish streaming giant Spotify announced yesterday that former first lady Michelle Obama will be hosting her very own podcast called The Michelle Obama Podcast.
The deal was announced last year after the Obamas signed a contract through their production company, Higher Ground, with Spotify.
The teaser notes, “The former First Lady is starting a new conversation – and you’re invited to join. Hear Michelle Obama’s most candid and personal conversations as they happen, and discover what’s possible when we let ourselves be vulnerable, open up, and focus on what matters most.”
The podcast’s main focus includes intimate conversations on personal relationships, such as “[…] the relationships that shape us, from siblings and close friends to partners, parents, and mentors to our relationship with ourselves and our health.”, the company said in a press release. Just a sample of the star-studded guests include fellow host Conan O’Brien, Valerie Jarrett (former adviser to President Barack Obama), and Mrs. Obama’s own mother and brother.
This isn’t Michelle Obama’s first foray into media: she released her memoir, “Becoming,” in late 2018, which went on to sell 2 million copies in its first two weeks. This year, she released a documentary of the same name on Netflix.
The podcast premieres on July 29th, and new episodes will come out weekly for nine weeks.
“My hope is that this series can be a place to explore meaningful topics together and sort through so many of the questions we’re all trying to answer in our own lives,” Mrs. Obama said in a statement.
Will you be listening? Let us know in the comments!
Greta Thunberg has accomplished a lot in her young 16-year old life, from speaking at a United Nations conference, leading a worldwide strike for climate change, and even being on the cover of Time magazine … but could this be her biggest “accomplishment” to date?
A 120-year old photo surfaced earlier this week that shows a girl that bears a very uncanny resemblance to Thunberg, from the same stoic expression to her signature braids. The photo, unearthed from archives at the University of Washington, shows three children working at a gold mine in Canada, including Greta’s “twin. (https://www.udenar.edu.co/) ”
Of course, the internet couldn’t pass up the chance to comment, with some users on Twitter calling her a “time traveler” and asking if she knows about her long-lost twin.
Greta Thunberg loses hope in changing current world’s mind about Climate Change, decides to travel back in time to when it all started pic.twitter.com/I7ikBtNzJ4
So, ‘Greta Thunberg’ is in a photo from 120 years ago, and it’s my new favourite conspiracy. Greta’s a time traveller, from the future, and she’s here to save us. pic.twitter.com/5ObTjPFXvk
Unfortunately, the rumors are false: “That is not Greta Thunberg [in the photo],” said James Stack, a reference librarian at the University of Washington, where the photo came from.
It is possible that the girl was a member of the Swedish community in the Yukon at the time, when thousands of people from around the world came in search of gold.
Multiple news outlets have reached out to Greta for comment, but she has not responded yet. Chances are she’s busy modifying her time machine with solar panels.
What’s your take — does the girl look like Greta? Let us know in the comments below!
This article was originally published on November 22, 2019.
East coast native Florence Wetzel fell head over heels for Sweden and Nordic Noir after being introduced to that world through Stieg Larsson’s books. The journalist and writer was so enamored that she decided to travel to Sweden, immerse herself in the culture, and go on to write multiple books in the genre.
As an American, born in Brooklyn and raised in Westfield, New Jersey, Florence brings a unique perspective to dark Scandinavian crime, a field currently dominated by Scandinavian writers.
Intrigued by her interest in Scandinavia, Nordic Noir, and curious about an American’s perspective on Scandinavian culture, we decided to find out more about Florence.
What inspired you to become an author?
From a young age, I loved to read. I think that all writers start out as readers! I worked on the school newspaper in junior high and high school, then in college I took fiction classes with writer B. J. Chute. She was the first professional writer I had ever met, and she encouraged me to take myself and my writing seriously.
It was during my time at Barnard that I decided to be a writer. I knew that getting published wouldn’t be easy, but I also realized that I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t have writing at the center of my life.
Florence Wetzel. Photo: Helena Berzelius / Leafoto.se
Have you always had an eye for Scandinavia, and what specifically piqued your interest in the region?
In my twenties, I saw a lot of Ingmar Bergman’s movies, but that wasn’t enough to get me to Sweden. When I read Stieg Larsson’s books in 2010, something clicked for me. I became fascinated with Sweden and Stockholm, as well as the Nordic Noir genre in general. The more books I read and the more films I saw, the more enchanted I became.
The next step was realizing that I wanted to write my own Nordic Noir books. I didn’t know if I could, but I definitely wanted to try. So that’s what I did. It was so much fun plunging into the Scandinavian world, including doing lots of research in Stockholm for The Grand Man and taking a cruise along the coast of Norway for The Woman Who Went Overboard.
Your book The Grand Man is mainly about the Palme murder. With Swedish police recently closing the case, what are your thoughts on their conclusion, and the theory about the suspected murderer?
With all due respect to the Swedish police and the Palme Group, I don’t agree with their conclusion that Stig Engström was the murderer. For many reasons, including the fact that I don’t think that the murder was the spontaneous act of a mentally unbalanced man. All the witnesses say that the murderer was extremely calm, which makes me think that he was a professional assassin. So without giving away my plot, I can say that The Grand Man follows the second line of thinking, namely that the murderer was hired by an organization or even another country.
The Grand Man. Image credit: BOD-Books on Demand Sverige
What were your initial thoughts on Sweden after first arriving there?
My first trip to Sweden was January 2013. It was a very cold winter and it was the first time that I had experienced such long, dark days. The thing that impressed me first was how the Swedes worked with light, whether it was a row of tea candles in 7-Eleven, electric candles on windowsills, or braziers outside restaurants. That was my first experience of Swedish mys or coziness, and it’s something I still appreciate so much.
I also liked the coffee in Sweden, which is much stronger than most American coffee!
Did it live up to your expectations from Stieg Larsson’s books?
Definitely. Stieg Larsson’s love for Stockholm is woven throughout all of his books, and by following in his footsteps I fell in love with Stockholm as well. And I literally did follow his footsteps! I took the Millennium tour that’s run by Stadsmuseet and visited places from his books. I also went back to those places many times on my own to do research for The Grand Man. Even all these years later, I still visit Kaffebar and Mosebacke torg every time I’m back in Stockholm.
I also discovered places that Larsson doesn’t mention, such as the back streets of Gamla Stan, Monica Zetterlund’s park in Vasastan, and the classic café Vete-katten. That sense of discovery has never gone away. I’ve traveled to Stockholm several times a year since 2013, and I discover something new each time. Stockholm is a fascinating city.
Reading your books, it is obvious that you know a lot about Swedish culture. How did you immerse yourself in the culture in order to write the way you do?
Part of my immersion was through exploring Stockholm and other parts of Sweden, but over the years I have learned so much from Swedes themselves, from the friends I made there as well as people I met casually. I also started studying Swedish in January 2014, and that’s when I started reading Swedish books and watching Swedish films and series on SVT Play. But there is always so much more to learn, and that’s what makes my time in Sweden enjoyable as well as challenging.
The Woman Who Went Overboard. Image credit: BOD-Books on Demand Sverige
Are there any bits and pieces of Swedish culture you particularly like? From an American perspective, how does it differ from your own culture?
I am an enormous fan of fika. The coffee and the baked goods, of course, but more the spirit of taking time to slow down and connect with people. The moment you and a friend set your coffee cups down on a table, it’s like a little bubble of peace descends.
Most of my time in the US has been in the New York City area, and things move so fast there. People are extremely busy and it can be hard to find time to meet, or even slow down at all.
I also really love the Swedish book world. I started out reading detective novels, but now I try to read widely, everything from literature to children’s book to horror stories. I also go to Bokmässan (The Book Fair) in Göteborg every year, and I try to go to smaller conferences and events when I can. Even when I am in the US, I can still connect to that world via Instagram and Facebook.
I’ve found the Swedish book community to be tremendously supportive; in fact, most of the reviews of my books have been written by Swedes. And now I write book reviews as well when I can, which is a fun way to be part of that world and give back what’s been given to me.
America is so much bigger than Sweden and as a result it can be hard to connect with people. Sweden is just 10 million people, so it’s much easier for people with common interests to find one another.
What can people learn about Sweden from your books?
I think they can learn practical things, such as interesting places to visit in Stockholm. This includes of course cafes, since my characters seem to spend a lot of time having fika. They can also learn more about the Palme assassination, as well as about Stieg Larsson and his missing fourth book. Also general observations about Swedish habits and customs.
What would be most satisfying to me is if someone read my books and got curious enough to visit Sweden, and then maybe fell in love with the country themselves. That would be a way to pay forward what Stieg Larsson and all the other Swedish detective novelists have given me.
Do Swedes relate to your stories?
Based on the reviews from Swedish bloggers, they enjoy reading about an outsider’s perspective of their country. They also seem to appreciate that I like Sweden so much.
One interesting thing that’s come up several times is my use of Swedish words in my books. I use the words fika, lagom, and mysig, concepts that are difficult or perhaps impossible to translate into English. Some Swedish reviewers got a kick out of seeing these words woven into a story in English, but others found it a bit strange. But as I said, I didn’t see any good way to translate those words, so I decided to just let them be.
While many have been critical of Sweden’s response to the global pandemic, it seems like Scandinavian neighbor, Denmark, might have hit the head on the nail with their response to the Coronavirus.
The Danish economy seems to be weathering the coronavirus storm successfully and is estimated to shrink by 5.25% this year, before rebounding by 4.3% in 2021, according to the European Economic Forecast.
The only EU economy which has performed better is Poland, whose economy is estimated to shrink by 4.3 percent.
The secret to Denmark’s success? It had one of Europe’s earliest and most stringent lockdowns, according to the forecast.
“Although Denmark was one of the first European countries to impose extensive lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic activity in the first quarter of 2020 proved more resilient than previously expected,” noted the forecast.
Likewise, consumer spending maintained a steady pace and exports were a key player in the economic strategy: “The fall in private consumption was fairly moderate and construction investment held up relatively well. Exports also surprised positively, mirroring the high share of pharmaceuticals and agricultural products in Denmark’s export mix.”
Like many Swedes before him, Glenn Van Helèn decided to leave Scandinavia and relocate to the United States when he met the love of his life, Deborah. In his new home, he decided to hold tight to his Scandinavian roots by becoming the U.S. distributor for the biotech company, Hygiene of Sweden.
Since launching Hygiene of Sweden’s popular Biopocket on Swedes in the State’s own e-commerce, The Nordic Collective, we saw a big interest in the product and decided to sit down with Glenn and learn more about him and why he thinks the Biopocket is needed on the U.S. market.
Glenn, where in Sweden you are from and tell us about your journey from there to Las Vegas, NV?
I’m from a small town called Falköping in Västragötaland, which is between Sweden’s two largest lakes. I grew up and lived there for 25 years, before moving to Oslo, Norway in 2010.
Relocating to Norway was initially challenging; the language, banking, taxes, and applying/obtaining an authorization to work in Oslo; it was like Sweden but still hugely different.
In 2015, I met my now wife, Deborah, who was living in San Francisco at the time. Our storybook romance began when we met on a Caribbean Cruise, which became the start of a long-distance relationship. Flying back and forth between the U.S. to Norway and Sweden to visit each other. Within a year I found myself spending more time in the U.S. than anywhere else.
In 2018, we relocated from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas, bought our first home together, and got married.
You run the U.S. subsidiary of Hygiene of Sweden together with your wife, Deborah. What is important to you when representing a Swedish brand in the United States?
We believe it is important to represent the quality that Sweden stands for when it comes to innovation and science. Sweden’s regulatory requirements when it comes to quality and safety in products manufactured in Sweden are at a higher standard than most countries.
We think customers in the U.S. expect high-quality from Swedish manufacturers and we are definitely qualified.
What has it been like introducing a Swedish hand sanitizer to the U.S. market in these pandemic times?
Introducing a Swedish hand sanitizer that is alcohol-free to the U.S. market has been extremely challenging. Educating people with respect to the quality and long term protection of our product is a hurdle since American’s are so used to using alcohol-based products, many without realizing how short-lived the protection that can be.
Our Biopocket has undergone multiple clinical studies by independent laboratories in Sweden, proving our product is more effective in the protection against viruses and bacteria than alcohol.
We are doing our best to keep up with the demand during the last few months, which I feel is a little tap on the shoulder telling us that we are doing a great job.
What are your thoughts on gouging and people bunkering up on sanitizing equipment?
We have seen both gouging and hoarding since mid-March and view it as harmful to the public during the pandemic. Making an affordable product while still keeping a high standard product has been of the utmost importance to us. While profits are nice to have, being able to contribute to the well-being and safety of people is the most incredible feeling any entrepreneur could hope for.
Tell us more about the company values and the people behind the products?
Our company’s values are to solve an everyday problem with humans and nature in mind while also being affordable and available all over the world. We believe in a cleaner future and being proactive in preventing people from falling ill due to bacteria and viruses by using a non-harmful product.
What sets Hygiene of Sweden’s Biopocket hand sanitizing spray apart from the rest of the market?
What sets Hygiene of Sweden apart from the rest of the market is its unique formula, environmentally friendly, skin-friendly, and long-lasting protection that fits in your pocket. In today’s global society, we now require hand sanitizers on the go. Our product leaves the skin smooth and hydrated instead of drying out your hands like the overuse of some alcohol-based products can do.
What does the future hold for Hygiene of Sweden in the United States?
We believe the future is bright for Hygiene of Sweden! Hopefully, by spreading more awareness about hand-hygiene and the benefits of using non-alcohol based products, we can change the way people sanitize their hands.
We are so proud to be bringing this Swedish technology out to the U.S. market, and hopefully, one customer at the time we will change how Americans look at sanitizing, and how to stay healthy and protected while also caring for your skin.
With much of the world still in quarantine, it’s almost impossible to travel at the moment.
However, that didn’t stop the Scandinavian-based advertising agency Ingo and Burger King from coming up with a campaign to inspire wanderlust-prone travelers.
Those with a Swedish passport can visit their nearest Burger King and, if you let the fast-food chain give you a stamp, they’ll give you one of their new burgers for free. There’s a limit of five stamps per person.
“As the Swedish State Department still recommends citizens not to travel, we’ll let people repurpose their passport to experience tasty foreign flavors for free here in Sweden,” stated Daniel Schröder, marketing director at Burger King Sweden.
Sweden, which used to have the 4th most powerful passport in the world in a 2019 Henley Passport Index study, can barely even visit their neighbors: regular Swedes are still not able to enter Denmark or Norway.
The new World Gourmet menu is inspired by flavors around the world, from the specialty cheese used in the French Cheeseburger to the mouth-watering chimichurri sauce in the Argentinian Grill burger.
However, there’s one huge disclaimer: Having “‘fraudulent” stamps, like those from fake countries, such as Uzpiz in Latvia, or tourist attractions, such as Machu Picchu, can invalidate the entire passport. Burger King says it won’t be taking any responsibility if you get rejected at the border.
The company warned: “Note that your passport may become unusable if you choose to stamp it. Burger King takes no responsibility if your passport becomes unusable.”
This article was originally published on January 10, 2020.
Skebo Manor has been called the most beautiful manor in the whole province of Uppland, in Sweden. And now it is for sale.
Price: 27 000 000 SEK, around $ 2.8 million
This gorgeous house, built in the 19th century, comes with vast lands and is set next to a lake in the Norrtälje, just a few hours outside of Stockholm. Take a look below to see how the ultimate Swedish dream house for sale. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the new lucky owner.
Last Friday, one of Denmark’s most famous tourist attractions, the Little Mermaid statue, was vandalized. The main character of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale was spray-painted with the words “Racist Fish” on the rock that she sits atop.
Copenhagen police were quick on the scene and noted, “We can confirm that The Little Mermaid has been vandalized sometime before 9:00 a.m. this morning,” in a statement to AFP.
“An unknown person has written the words ‘Racist Fish’ on it. We are investigating the case.”
Interestingly enough, nobody is quite sure what makes the statue racist.
Ane Grum-Schwensen, a scholar at the Hans Christian Andersen Center at the University of Southern Denmark, notes, “Of course, in general with literary works, you can read them with various glasses. However, I do find it a little difficult to see what would be especially racist in the adventure The Little Mermaid.”
Likewise, this isn’t the first time that the statue was vandalized.
In two instances in 1964 and 1998, the mermaid’s head was stolen, and one of her arms was severed in 1984. On the night of September 10, 2003, the poor statue was knocked off its base with explosives and later fished out of the harbor. Paint has been poured on the statue multiple times, including one time in 1963 and twice in 2007.
At the beginning of 2020, someone vandalized the statue with the message “Free Hong Kong.”
No one has yet claimed credit for the vandalism of the statue.
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